Analysis of Wildfire Visualization Systems for Research and Training: Are They up for the Challenge of the Current State of Wildfires?

Wildfires affect many regions across the world. The accelerated progression of global warming has amplified their frequency and scale, deepening their impact on human life, the economy, and the environment. The temperature rise has been driving wildfires to behave unpredictably compared to those previously observed, challenging researchers and fire management agencies to understand the factors behind this behavioral change. Furthermore, this change has rendered fire personnel training outdated and lost its ability to adequately prepare personnel to respond to these new fires. Immersive visualization can play a key role in tackling the growing issue of wildfires. Therefore, this survey reviews various studies that use immersive and non-immersive data visualization techniques to depict wildfire behavior and train first responders and planners. This paper identifies the most useful characteristics of these systems. While these studies support knowledge creation for certain situations, there is still scope to comprehensively improve immersive systems to address the unforeseen dynamics of wildfires.

The efficacy of multifocal soft contact lenses for the alleviation of asthenopic symptoms in myopes with accommodative lag.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of multifocal soft contact lenses to reduce asthenopic symptoms in myopes with accommodative lag. METHODS: Twenty-four myopic participants, aged 18-35 years, with mean spherical equivalent (MSE) of ≤ -0.75D, were recruited in a randomised, double-blind crossover study. All participants were existing contact lens wearer with near orthophoria or esophoria, presenting with subjective asthenopic symptoms at baseline [Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS) score ≥ 21] and a lag of accommodation ≥ +0.75 D. All participants were initially fitted with single vision contact lenses for a one month period. Participants were then randomly assigned 1:1 to wear low add or high add multifocal soft contact lenses for a further month. After this period, the groups were reversed. Data were collected at baseline and following one month's wear of each lens. Change in CISS score was evaluated as the primary outcome measure, while secondary outcome measures were changes in accommodative lag and heterophoria status. RESULTS: Baseline CISS score was (mean ± SD) 25.04 ± 4.58. Post-intervention scores were as follows: single vision: 24.46 ± 4.59, low add: 12.17 ± 6.89, high add: 13.71 ± 7.23. Both low add and high add multifocal soft contact lens wear was associated with an improvement in CISS score compared to baseline CISS and single vision (all p < 0.01). No significant difference was found between the CISS score for the baseline CISS and single vision (p = 1.00). No significant difference was found in lag of accommodation between lens conditions (all p > 0.05), however, there was an exophoric shift in near heterophoria between single vision and both multifocal contact lenses (low add: (mean difference 1.33 Δ, p = 0.02; high add: mean difference 1.23 Δ, p = 0.02) but not between habitual spectacle or any other modality (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The use of multifocal soft contact lenses for a one-month period was associated with reduced severity of asthenopic symptoms in pre-presbyopic myopes with accommodative lag. Whilst improvement of symptoms does not appear to be mediated by a significant reduction in accommodative lag, changes in heterophoria may play a role in reducing asthenopic symptoms.

Prescribing trends of systemic antibiotics by periodontists in Australia.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are a common systemic pharmaceutical therapy in periodontal conditions for dental practitioners as well as specialists. However, there is limited information about prescribing patterns amongst the periodontists within Australia. The objective of this study is to examine current patterns and perceptions in prescribing systemic antibiotics for the treatment of periodontal and peri-implant diseases. METHODS: An online questionnaire was disseminated to Australian practicing members of the Australia and New Zealand Academy of Periodontists (ANZAP) to determine their antibiotic prescribing patterns for different periodontal conditions. Indications that were analyzed included: chronic periodontitis, plaque-induced gingivitis, aggressive periodontitis, acute gingival and periodontal conditions, conditions associated with implants and implant placement, periodontal regeneration, and mucogingival surgery. RESULTS: Out of the 50 members that participated in the study, 38 completed the questionnaire. Systemic antibiotics prescription patterns varied markedly for different periodontal or peri-implant diseases among respondents. 79% reported prescription of systemic antibiotics in the treatment of chronic periodontitis whereas 52.6%, 55.3%, 18.4% of the respondents did so for periodontal regeneration procedures, implant placement surgery, and mucogingival surgery, respectively. Azithromycin, the combination of Amoxicillin and Metronidazole, and Amoxicillin were the three most commonly prescribed systemic antibiotics. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this survey, systemic antibiotics are widely used by the group of periodontists surveyed in this study in Australia with varying rates and patterns for different periodontal and peri-implant conditions. The current study highlights the need for recommendations and guidelines in the prescription of antibiotics for periodontal and peri-implant conditions.

The efficacy of a video-based marker-less tracking system for gait analysis.

Most clinical gait analyses are conducted using motion capture systems which track retro-reflective markers that are placed on key landmarks of the participants. An alternative to a three-dimensional (3D) motion capture, marker-based, optical camera system may be a marker-less video-based tracking system. The aim of our study was to investigate the efficacy of the use of a marker-less tracking system in the calculation of 3D joint angles for possible use in clinical gait analysis. Ten participants walked and jogged on a treadmill and their kinematic data were captured with a marker and marker-less tracking system simultaneously. The hip, knee and ankle angles in the frontal, sagittal and transverse planes were computed. Root Mean Square differences (RMSdiff) between corresponding angles for each participant's support phase were calculated and averaged to derive the mean within-subject RMSdiff. These within-subject means were averaged to obtain the mean between-subject RMSdiff for the relevant joint angles in the two gait conditions (walking and jogging). The RMSdiff between the two tracking systems was less than 1° for all rotations of the three joint angles of the hip and knee. However, there were slightly larger differences in the ankle joint angles. The results of this study suggest a potential application in gait analysis in clinical settings where observations of anatomical motions may provide meaningful feedback.